This past weekend, Per Bastet Publications and I were proud participants in Imaginarium, a fabulous creative writing festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
SO. MUCH. FUN.
And oh, so many doors!
The convention hotel is conveniently near one of our favorite restaurants, so we met there for a pre-con lunch.
That’s the Shalimar Indian restaurant. This is the restaurant I wrote a story about, printed out, had Charlie frame, and took in. The manager hung it on the restaurant wall. He took it with him when he left. Heart heart heart.
SO classy, yet you’re welcomed with the same elegance and courtesy if you come in gussied up or dressed down.
No pictures of the food because hungry.
Here are the doors of the hotel where we didn’t stay. Well, technically, there are probably millions of hotels in which we didn’t stay, but this was the convention hotel, in which we didn’t stay.
Why not? Because this gorgeous entrance masks a hell pit, in my opinion. In my opinion, it has piss-poor climate control, filthy carpets, rooms inaccessible to anyone with mobility issues OR with a luggage cart (stairs between the elevator and the rooms), and deteriorating infrastructure. It has supposedly been sold to a buyer who plans to gut it and do a total remodel by next year. Here’s hoping! (By the way, I added, “In my opinion” in a feeble attempt to avoid a possible libel suit. Everybody else who stayed in the hotel has the same opinion, so….)
No, we stayed at the Best Western nearby. LOVELY hotel, and lovely staff. Free breakfast, and not just cereal and toast. One of my partners is gluten-intolerant, and she was pleased with the scrambled eggs and sausage, yogurt and fruit. Many strangers bonded over the pancake-o-matic machine as we came in, said, “Oh! I LOVE those things!” and clasped hands.
Door to the breakfast room:
Door to a sleeping room. Classy.
Important, when you bring your own food to the convention:
Sadly, we had so many panels, plus selling books all day, plus a room party to go to on Friday and a banquet on Saturday, we didn’t get to eat much of our own food.
But there was a food truck this year, and it was a good’un. I think flappy openings count as doors.
Louisville has THE BEST food trucks! This one was gluten-free crepes made with rice flour. Good? UH-HUH!
Oh! I ‘most forgot the hotel lights for Joey:
And then there was Daniel, who writes as Daniel Dark, with his 1910 car, which works!
Awesome? You bet!
This has been a con report PLUS a Thursday Doors post. Thursday Doors is the brainchild of Norm Frampton, photographer extraordinaire. Visit his site, enjoy his wonderful photographs, click on the blue frog link, and enter a world of doors.
A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: Write about a 1910 hell pit.
MA
Norm 2.0
October 11, 2018 at 9:10amLooks like a fun time.
“No pictures of the food because hungry” – the story of my life. So often I find myself thinking I shoulda taken a pic of that, after my belly is full 😀
Marian Allen
October 11, 2018 at 10:57amA fine time was had by all.
Ally Bean
October 11, 2018 at 12:10pmI appreciate that you showed us the doors to the pit of hell. I’ll try to remember what they look like and never go through them. Thanks for the heads up.
Marian Allen
October 12, 2018 at 9:06amThe doors to the pit of hell are attractive. Beware!
Dan Antion
October 11, 2018 at 12:11pmYeah, food photos are hard to get. I often end up taking a pic at an odd angle so as not to show the teeth marks. I like the door to the sleeping area and the food truck. If that’s not a door, I don’t want to be right – or something.
Marian Allen
October 12, 2018 at 9:08am“taking a pic at an odd angle so as not to show the teeth marks” — I DO THAT, TOO! This crepe was actually larger, but I forgot to take a picture until I had eaten some of it. lol!
pm laberge
October 11, 2018 at 10:18pmNice Crepes! Love the lights. Nice doors. Does that old car REALLY work????? WOW!
Marian Allen
October 12, 2018 at 9:09amOld car really works. This same guy has a pennyfarthing bicycle that he rides around the convention where the ceilings are high enough. I got a picture at Fandom Fest a couple of years ago. He’s so cool!
pm laberge
October 12, 2018 at 4:36pmCoooooooooooooooooool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, the bicycle needs very high ceilings!
All you need is an autograph!
And a ride in the car. Skip the cycle!
joey
October 13, 2018 at 6:59pmYou betcha floppy doors count! I do like the harlequin lights, those are quite smashing! And at the Best Western, you say?
I am jealous of all the food not pictured in this post. Also a bit jealous of Dan’s cart.
Marian Allen
October 14, 2018 at 11:03amYeah, the Best Western was a real winner!